As part of its initiative to ensure that the Internet continues to spawn growth and innovation, the Department of Commerce will hold a symposium on "Cybersecurity and Innovation in the Information Economy" on July 27, 2010, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The event is designed for all interested stakeholders to participate and comment on the relationship between cybersecurity in the commercial space and innovation in the Internet economy, with particular emphasis on businesses that operate non-critical infrastructure.

Several senior government officials are scheduled to speak, including Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NIST Director Patrick Gallagher, Commerce General Counsel Cameron Kerry, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt. Private-sector panelists include Vint Cerf, Google; Larry Clinton, Internet Security Alliance; and James Lewis, Center for Strategic and International Studies. The symposium will place particular emphasis on cybersecurity issues faced by businesses that operate non-critical infrastructure. The agenda currently contemplates panels on "Assessing the Macro-Economic Threat and the Commercial Sectorís Response," "Micro-Economic Successes and Challenges in Risk Management," "Effecting Behavioral Change" and "Roles, Responsibilities and the Global Path Forward."

This meeting is part of a review being conducted by the Commerce Departmentís Internet Policy Task Force, which was launched by Secretary Locke in April. The Task force is investigating successful cybersecurity strategies, the roles of the private and public sectors in cybersecurity in the commercial arena, and the relationship of cybersecurity policy to consumer welfare, job creation, and international trade. The review is being coordinated with the Office of the Cybersecurity Coordinator, Executive Office of the President.

Task force members include representatives from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the International Trade Administration.

The event will be held in the Amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration, agenda, and the videotaped proceedings will be available on NIST web site www.nist.gov/itl/cybersecurity.cfm.

Additional details:

Please contact Fred Whiteside directly with any questions other than registration regarding the July 27 Stakeholder Meeting Addresses Cybersecurity and Innovation. Mr. Whiteside is the technical contact for the event and his contact information is below: